


A Song for the Moon

by carryaworld



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: I love the space wolf, Keith and Shiro figure out their ish, M/M, and fluff of course, background Allurance ish, but mostly love, her name is Hikari and I'll sell my soul for her, some post season 6 Sheith, the team learns how to be together again, there's a tiny bit of angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-23
Updated: 2018-07-27
Packaged: 2019-05-27 04:16:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15016475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carryaworld/pseuds/carryaworld
Summary: *contains season 6 spoilers*Shiro is safe, the castle is gone, and now it's time to put the pieces back together and return home.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Season 6 gave me so many feelings so have some of my best boys. If I get my butt in gear there will be an Allurance fic to go in tandem with this eventually.

 

_ I’ll howl and howl till I’m home with you _

_ My love he sings a lonesome song  _

_ But he should know I’ve loved him all along _

 

Keith’s limbs were simultaneously heavy and light, and it was a rather disturbing sensation. He was exhausted, had pushed himself beyond his limits to save the team and to save Shiro, but relief made him weightless. Shiro dozed fitfully in his lap, his silvery head tucked neatly against Keith’s shoulder. He’d only been conscious for a few minutes at most after Allura transferred his essence into the clone’s body, and had slumped against Keith almost immediately. Keith didn’t mind supporting him, and if he had his way, he’d never let Shiro go.

 

He kept hearing it on repeat in his head, echoing and uninvited:  _ I died, Keith. _ It made his blood run cold, and he tried to suppress the shudder that rippled up his spine. Keith tightened his arms around Shiro, carefully smoothing his forelock with all the gentleness he possessed. Something warm settled against his back and Keith managed a small smile. Hikari always seemed to know his moods, and had ceased pestering Hunk for treats to settle against Keith. The wolf’s nature was a mystery in itself. Keith had no idea how she teleported or did most of the things she did, but he was okay with it. Hikari was Hikari, and Keith loved her as she was.

 

Around him, the rest of the team was busy setting up camp. They’d return to Earth soon, yes, but at the moment they were tired, battered, and a little heart-sick. The castleship had been their home, and while Keith had grown used to being away from it, the others felt naked and exposed in its absence. Coran in particular was quietly mourning his grandfather’s creation. Keith would have felt more sympathy if he wasn’t purely grateful that they were all alive. There’d been moments where he was sure they weren’t going to make it. He’d plummeted with Shiro, certain that death waited on the other side.

 

Allura was hung up on Lotor’s death, feeling guilty for falling for his tricks but also for letting him die in the quintessence field. Lance stuck close to her, offering quiet comfort as they worked together on a makeshift shelter. Krolia got a fire going, and Hunk immediately busied himself whipping up some sort of meal from the supplies he’d brought in Yellow. Romelle bent her head to converse with Pidge, who was planning their trip home and concocting a way of sending a message to her father and to Matt. 

 

A hush fell over their small encampment and Keith’s eyelids slid shut against his bidding. With Shiro in his lap and Hikari at his back, Keith was content and sleep came too easy. Krolia woke him sometime later by ruffling her hand affectionately through his hair, a habit born of their two years spent traveling on a space whale. Keith had learned a lot about his mother in those two years, even after the waves of space time had revealed some of the most significant parts of his history. It was nice to know her as a person, and as Keith blinked awake, he offered her a sleepy smile. 

 

Krolia’s eyes crinkled affectionately in return. “Wake Shiro so he can eat something,” she said quietly. 

 

Keith nodded and she moved away, leaving him a view of what his friends had accomplished while he slept. Pidge and Hunk had built themselves a cave of sorts from some of the boxes they’d brought along and Romelle ducked into what Keith guessed was supposed to be a tent of sorts. Clever, but Keith was thought he could be perfectly content to sleep under the stars tonight. First though, he needed to eat something. He honestly couldn’t remember the last time he’d consumed anything substantial, and that probably wasn’t a good thing. 

 

“Shiro,” he murmured, brushing feather light fingers along that chiseled jaw.

 

They had a lot to talk about, he realized as gray eyes fluttered open. So many things that needed said, or said again. 

 

“Hey, you want something to eat? Hunk cooked,” Keith smiled as Shiro woke enough to focus. 

 

A small nod as Shiro blearily registered his surroundings, his brow wrinkled and exhaustion still inhabiting every line of his face. 

 

Keith swallowed the emotions that threatened to choke him. Later, they’d talk about it later. 

 

“Are you okay staying here with Hikari while I go get us some food?” Keith asked. Hearing her name, Hikari stuck her nose over his shoulder. 

 

“Should I even ask about the space wolf?” Shiro said, voice raspy but eyes sparkling with amusement.

 

Keith shrugged as best he could manage without dislodging Shiro. “I mean she can teleport so I think that alone makes her cooler that the all of us.” 

 

Shiro huffed a laugh and it sounded too painful for Keith’s liking. Keith leaned in and touched their foreheads together, letting Shiro’s even breathing soothe him.  _ He’s fine, he’s fine, he’s fine. _

 

“I won’t disappear if you walk around the other side of the campfire,” Shiro promised him, the words barely a breath brushing past Keith’s ear. 

 

“You’d better not,” Keith mumbled. “Though I’d come find you anyway.”

 

Shiro’s smile was a little bitter and a lot tired. “I know. Now go, I’ll get acquainted with your familiar while you’re gone.” 

 

Keith snorted, but hummed something under his breath to Hikari as he gingerly shifted Shiro out of his lap and settled him with the wolf. Hikari curled around him, setting her large head in Shiro’s lap after curiously sniffing at his face. 

 

“Okay?” Keith asked as he pushed to his feet. 

 

Hikari was being incredibly gentle, Keith had no doubts that she understood how important Shiro was to him. Shiro smiled, a slight up-curve of his lips. 

 

“Nice and cozy,” he promised. 

 

Hikari chuffed in agreement, her eyes following Keith as he made his way around the campfire and scrounged what was left from Hunk’s cooking. Krolia exchanged a couple quiet words with him, but mostly Shiro was paying attention Keith himself. He’d definitely grown and aged while Shiro had been in the Black lion. He was beautiful, Shiro thought. He’d always been beautiful, but happiness made him shine bright. 

 

The purple mark that curved up his cheek, however, made bile rise in Shiro’s throat. The memories were fuzzy, a mixture of his own and some that belonged to the clone, but he was fairly sure of who’d put that mark, scar really, on Keith’s face. His hand clenched and he scrunched his eyes closed against the guilt that threatened to choke him. 

 

Hikari whined, and faintly Shiro recalled a casual evening in the Garrison library when Keith had asked him if he knew any Japanese words. Regretfully, thanks to Shiro’s childhood of being shuffled around, his retention of his heritage was minimal. He knew a few words though, and had taught them to Keith. Hikari was one of them, and it meant ‘light.’ That Keith had retained the knowledge, and then named his wolf after it….

 

“Shiro,” Keith’s concerned murmur interrupted his reverie. 

 

Shiro opened his eyes and found Keith crouching before him. “I’m okay,” he croaked. 

 

It was a lie poorly told, and Keith’s eyes tightened. Shiro had always been bad at lying to him. Keith didn’t call him out, only set a plate in his lap and held a utensil out to him. Shiro grasped it with tired fingers, and Keith waited until he was sure that Shiro could handle it before sitting down to tuck into his own food. Keith settled on Shiro’s right side and it was support Shiro didn’t know he needed. With Keith at his side and Hikari at his back, Shiro could breathe. 

 

Eating one handed was a more daunting task than he could have anticipated, though Hikari helpfully snatched up whatever he dropped. Keith could only stand it so long before he took Shiro’s plate off his lap and cut his food up into manageable bits before returning it. Shiro smiled gratefully at him and Keith pressed his shoulder close in return. 

 

It was a quiet meal, Shiro hadn’t realized how much effort lifting the fork to his mouth would be, but it made him absurdly tired. Keith had already finished his meal, and was now feeding bits and ends to Hikari, who’d whined and cajoled until Keith had given in. Shiro took breaks between eating to watch them. The way Keith’s face softened when he looked at Hikari was hypnotizing, and the warmth in his chest that it elicited was a balm against the guilt. 

 

“How did you meet Hikari?” Shiro asked as his fork made the journey to his mouth, slow and a little shaky. 

 

Keith’s gaze flickered to Shiro and he smiled, easy and affectionate. It stunned Shiro, how easily Keith smiled now. It seemed the two years spent with his mother had given Keith the chance to heal and open up. Shiro had witnessed Keith’s heartache and mourning through Black, and he was painfully glad to see that some of the old wounds were closed over. 

 

“She ah, crash landed on the giant space whale we were traveling on, and I saved her from this nasty spider looking thing,” Keith said with a shrug. “I fed her, and she stayed with us for the two years that we were on the space whale. I guess we got a bit attached to each other.” 

 

That, of course, was a gross understatement and Shiro knew it. He set down his fork and allowed Hikari to smell his fingers before he gently smoothed them along her head and down her neck as far as he could reach. She chuffed and closed her eyes, basking in the attention.

 

“I’m not surprised she likes you,” Keith commented wryly. “She hasn’t really warmed up to anyone else yet. She’s okay with Pidge and will beg food off of Hunk, but Lance still can’t get close to her.” 

 

There was a pause where Keith drifted thoughtfully. 

 

“She’s good at knowing who is important to me,” Keith said at last. 

 

Shiro’s heart clenched. He swallowed hard, grasping desperately for the right words, “Keith…” 

 

Keith reached until his fingers brushed along the side of Shiro’s face, a sensation that sent a shiver down Shiro’s spine. The tenderness in that touch… Time felt liquid, washing over Shiro in great crashing waves after he’d spent so long watching the tide retreat. It was overwhelming to be again at the whim of the comings and goings of the universe. 

 

Shiro had no words so he leaned his cheek into Keith’s palm, relishing the warmth of those callused fingers. Keith’s breath hitched and he released a sigh that eased the habitual tension from his shoulders. Shiro’s eyes flickered shut and Keith’s fingers slid into his hair for a brief moment before falling away all together. 

 

“You should sleep some more,” Keith hummed, and Shiro forced his eyes open again. 

 

“‘Mm fine,” Shiro mumbled unconvincingly. 

 

Keith arched an eyebrow so high that it nearly disappeared into his now even longer hair. 

 

“Would you rather sleep out here, or in the Black lion?” Keith asked, ignoring Shiro’s protest. Keith preferred to sleep out under the stars, but Shiro’s wants took priority at the moment. 

 

Shiro was quiet for a moment. “Black,” he said at last. 

 

Keith was unsurprised, he was fairly certain that Lance and Allura were also sleeping in their lions even if Pidge and Hunk were having fun camping. He eased himself to his feet and reached a hand down to Shiro, who clasped it firmly. Keith hauled him to his feet, and then slipped in close on Shiro’s left side to wrap a supportive arm around his waist. 

 

Shiro grunted, swaying as he got wobbly legs under him. Keith tightened his grip and Shiro let himself lean on Keith, marveling at the solidness of his closest friend. 

 

“You got taller,” Shiro observed as they made their way slowly over to Black. Hikari bounded ahead of them, ready to claim her own place to sleep. 

 

Keith gave a low chuckle. “Two years tends to do that. Mom thinks that the blend of human and Galra means that my growth spurt is later than what’s typical for most humans.” 

 

_ Mom _ . Shiro wasn’t sure how long it’d take him to adjust to the changes, and it weighed heavily upon him. 

 

“You’ll catch up to me maybe,” Shiro mused, hiding how much the idea shook him. 

 

Keith was so, so beautiful. 

 

Keith cracked a smile, “Maybe.” 

 

It was a relief for Shiro to sink down on the floor of Black’s cabin, his limbs trembling with the effort. He kept forgetting that his right arm was gone and it threw him off balance. He closed his eyes to rest as Keith shucked off the outer part of his armor, leaving him in the undersuit. 

 

“My old clothes don’t fit anymore,” he explained when Shiro opened an eye curiously. “Or at least I’m guessing. They’re still at the Blades’ base.”

 

“Huh,” Shiro said, mind momentarily blank. 

 

Keith didn’t seem to notice, only rummaged through the single bag of belongings he’d brought with him. Because Keith was Keith, he’d brought the clothes Shiro had grown used to wearing when he wasn’t in his paladin armor. 

 

“I don’t think I can..” Shiro rasped. 

 

There was no way his body would obey him long enough to change clothes. Just the thought made him want to pass out. 

 

Keith set the clothes within reach and crouched in front of Shiro. “I’ll help you. It won’t be comfortable to sleep in the armor.”

 

He was right, of course, and Shiro sighed as he nodded his assent. Piece by piece Keith helped him out of the armor, taking breaks when Shiro’s head started to spin. Shiro also often had to distract himself from Keith’s lithe figure, watching Hikari where she slept on the floor instead. 

 

When it came time to get Shiro out of the undersuit and into real clothes, a blush rose on Keith’s cheeks but he pressed on with heart wrenching gentleness. A memory stirred at the back of Shiro’s mind but he was too foggy to pursue it. It, like many other things, would have to wait. Finally it was done, and Keith slumped onto the floor beside Shiro. 

 

Shiro didn’t realize that his traitor eyes had closed on him yet again until Keith’s gentle tugging prompted them back open. Shiro made a disgruntled questioning noise as he tried to determine what was happening.

 

“Put your head in my lap,” Keith whispered. 

 

Shiro wanted to fight him over it, Keith would have to sleep sitting up if he did that, but Keith’s persistence won out. Head in Keith’s lap, and Keith’s fingers in his hair, Shiro was asleep in seconds. 

 

Keith was awake a bit longer, running his hands through Shiro’s silvery hair while he calmed his racing heart. Hikari got up and moved to flop down next to Keith, curling up and going promptly back to sleep. Krolia came up briefly to check on them, and exchanged a weary smile with Keith before returning to sleep next to the campfire. She, like Keith, would rather sleep under the stars. 

 

Eventually Keith slipped into sleep as well, Black’s presence an additional comfort as it covered the both of them like a well-worn blanket. 

  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things begin to fall into place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it might have been ambitious of me to start this at the beginning of 2 weeks of international travel, but oh well. Updates might be a little slower than my usual craziness, but they shall come <3 Have some very sweet boys on this Wednesday!

Nightmares dragged Shiro into wakefulness sometime in the night. He took a shuddering breath as the purple glow of Black’s cockpit registered. Hikari opened one eye to peer at him curiously, but Keith remained asleep, his head leaned back against the wall. The scar on his cheek was thrown into relief, an even deeper purple in the low lighting. Flashes of memories that didn’t belong to him had risen in Shiro’s dreams, leaving him reeling. Keith’s lap was a soft pillow that he didn’t deserve, not when the moment Keith got that scar played on a loop in his head. Not when he could hear Keith’s voice saying _Shiro please, you’re my brother. I love you_ again and again and again.

 

A distant part of him knew that it wasn’t him, that even the clone wasn’t in control of himself, but he couldn’t unsee his own hand doing damage to Keith. Keith, who’s care he didn’t deserve even though it was the thing Shiro craved the most. The number of times Keith had saved him was ridiculous. Now that Keith had a family and people that cared about him, Shiro didn’t want to weigh him down or hold him back. He was short an arm, he thought bitterly, but not short on scars and emotional trauma. Keith finally had his footing, Shiro couldn’t ruin that for him.

 

Fingers travelled along the top of Shiro’s head and brushed his shoulder. Shiro froze.

 

“Stop fretting,” Keith said in a raspy, sleep-hushed voice.

 

Keith’s eyes weren’t open but Shiro had the distinct sensation that Keith _saw_ him anyway.

 

“I’m not—“ Shiro tried to protest, and realized it was futile.

 

Keith’s long, slender fingers traced patterns on Shiro’s shoulders and his remaining arm. It both eased and wound tighter the knot in Shiro’s chest, a ridiculous paradox.

 

“What’s eating you?” Keith asked when Shiro said nothing else.

 

“I hurt you,” Shiro said flatly, his voice choked. “The memories are not so fluid when I’m awake, but in dreams they become clear. He—We, I think have melded but it’s still shaky.”

 

Why? He could only take guesses in the dark. Perhaps his subconscious was more open to memories that belonged purely to the clone when he slept.

 

Keith’s eyes flew open. “Shiro. You know as well as I do that it wasn’t you, and it wasn’t even _his_ fault, okay?”

 

Shiro gritted his teeth hard enough to make his jaw pulse painfully. “But—“ he protested, only to have Keith’s feather light fingers cover his mouth.

 

“No,” Keith said firmly.

 

This he would not budge on. Keith refused to let Shiro wallow in guilt despite the fact that he felt it hanging over himself. The past was past; they could only move forward now. Keith took his fingers from Shiro’s mouth, trying not to seem affected by how soft his lips were.

 

“You said you…” Shiro breathed, but the word _love_ wouldn’t leave his mouth, not even as an echo. He didn’t dare dream that it was true.

 

Keith tensed but his face remained open. “That I love you? I do,” he said, the words both an admission and a promise.

 

He was afraid of whether or not Shiro would reciprocate, but mostly he was relieved to have it out. It was a secret that had weighed down his shoulders for too long. Keith had come to accept his feelings, it was why he’d been perfectly willing to plunge into the unknown with Shiro rather than live without him. He couldn’t string together the words to describe what Shiro meant to him, and the closest he could get was _I love you_.

 

Shiro felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him. He reached blindly around until he could grasp Keith’s fingers in an iron grip. They were warm and dry, callused lightly despite the gloves that Keith frequently wore. They were familiar.

 

“I love you too.”

 

Shiro didn’t have to think about the words, they spilled from his lips with ease that surprised even him. It was so easy to give in to what his heart had yearned for. Guilt still gnawed at him, but he was too tired to fight his own selfish impulses.

 

The smile that broke across Keith’s face was worth everything Shiro had ever been through.

 

“Takashi,” Keith said with such tenderness that Shiro had to turn his face into the hard planes of Keith’s stomach to hide how thoroughly it wrecked him.

 

It rocked him to his very core, Keith’s fierce devotion. Shiro exhaled, shuddering and broken. Keith drew a concerned breath and then gentle hands were on him again, and _god_ was Shiro unused to being touched.

 

“Sleep,” Keith said in a hushed tone, stroking a soothing hand down Shiro’s back.

 

Shiro forced the air out of his lungs that he’d been holding in for too long. In doing so, he realized just how much his face was pressed against Keith. With every breath he took Keith’s familiar scent washed over him, tinged with sweat but oh, oh so _real_. He wasn’t really in the state to be certain, but Shiro could have sworn that as he drifted off he heard Keith singing quietly in the Galran language.

 

***

 

Keith eased Shiro’s head off his lap and resettled him on a makeshift pillow that Krolia had concocted. There was also a blanket, which Keith straightened so that Shiro was tucked in. Hikari watched with interest, her tail thumping eagerly against the metal floor of Black’s cockpit.

 

“Stay with him,” Keith told her as he eased to his feet.

 

Hikari looked as put out as any canine could about being left inside, but she scooted closer to Shiro anyway.

 

“Good girl,” Keith murmured, and descended.

 

Krolia was waiting. Keith would have stayed with him, but Shiro needed rest and Keith’s current fidgeting was not conducive to that.

 

“How is he?” Krolia asked.

 

The question captured the attention of the rest of the group, and suddenly Keith was under scrutiny.

 

“He’s sleeping,” Keith said calmly.

 

A sigh of relief echoed through the group.

 

“That is good news, I was quite worried,” Coran said quietly to himself.

 

Keith was inclined to agree with him.

 

“Pidge, did you get in touch with Matt?” he asked.

 

She was hunched over some device or another with Hunk watching over her shoulder. The rest of the group was loosely ringed around the smoldering embers of the campfire. Coran and Lance were on either side of Allura, and Romelle stood near Krolia. The pair of them had become close, and Keith appreciated the thoughtful insight that Romelle could provide.

 

“Yeah,” Pidge said without looking up, “But it might take him a bit to get here. The rebels were in a far quadrant. It’s been a bit messy with Lotor gone and the Galra empire trying to pick up the pieces, at least from what I understand.”

 

Allura pursed her lips, troubled with that bit of information, but Keith cut in before she could voice her worry.

 

“We can’t help them without a home base, Allura,” Keith said gently. “First, we need to return to Earth, we’ve put it off long enough.”

 

Coran twirled his mustache thoughtfully. “He’s right, we can’t very well provide stability if we ourselves aren’t organized.”

 

Allura ducked her head in acknowledgement, and Keith watched curiously as Lance touched her elbow in a comforting manner. “To Earth it is then. We need to come up with a diplomatic approach for our landing. Sam Holt has surely made headway with the Garrison, but five robotic lions landing will definitely be an event.”

 

“I might be able to help somewhat,” Krolia chipped in, brow furrowed in thought. “I have some knowledge of diplomatic things, but Shiro will know more than I about Garrison procedures.”

 

“I can help with the diplomatic stuff as well. I have some training,” Romelle chipped in.

 

Keith smiled gratefully at both of them. “Okay, let’s talk about the diplomatic stuff later, I think we should take another day to rest and regroup before we leave for Earth. We have to wait for Matt anyway. Is that okay with everyone?”

 

Assent was given all around, the paladins were still tired. Fighting Lotor in the quintessence field had taken a lot out of them, and they saw right through to Keith’s ulterior motive of giving Shiro another day to recover. Only Allura felt the need to hurry, even with the deep circles under her eyes.

 

“Keith,” Krolia murmured, drawing him away from the group.

 

A gentle hand cupped the side of his head as she surveyed him.

 

“I’m good,” Keith promised her with a small smile.

 

Krolia snorted. “I’m surprised to see you away from him.”

 

She’d spent two years listening to Keith talk about Shiro, and had not expected Keith to let him out of his sight so soon.

 

“I didn’t want to accidentally wake him, I needed to stretch my legs,” Keith said sheepishly. “Hikari is with him.”

 

Krolia looked amused. “Why am I not surprised that she likes him?”

 

Keith smiled the crooked smile that she loved so. It’d taken months together for him to smile that easily, for him to open up to her fierce love.

 

“Everyone likes Shiro,” Keith shrugged in a poor attempt to play it off.

 

“How is that going?” Krolia asked cautiously.

 

A romantic relationship with Shiro was something she’d learned not to ask too directly, as Keith seemed to still be figuring out his feelings.

Keith flushed, coloring his cheekbones and the tips of his ears. “I… I told him I loved him when we were falling, and when he remembered last night, he said it back,” he mumbled.

 

Krolia regarded her son, warmth blooming in her chest. “I’m so happy for you, Keith.”

 

“I also might have told him he was my brother,” Keith mumbled, ducking his head.

 

Krolia, recognizing the slump to his shoulders, drew him into a hug. Keith came willingly, hiding his face in her shoulder. It had amazed her when she first saw him how much he’d grown, though he was still small for a Galra. Now, even though she’d practically watched the hair on his head grow for two years, his gained height and muscle often surprised her.

 

“I rather think that you’ve gotten the difficult part out of the way,” she said gently, lips curving into a smile. “And if you don’t know the words, then show him.”

 

Keith made a disgruntled noise into her shoulder but pulled back, drawing himself up and squaring his shoulders. Krolia carded an absent hand through his ever-growing hair.

 

“I am proud of you, my son,” Krolia said, and Keith exhaled, leaning his head briefly into her touch.

 

“I should go check on him,” he murmured, and Krolia released him.

 

“I’ll keep an eye on the rest of these hooligans,” Krolia promised.

 

Keith snorted and strode off, only to be waylaid on the way by Pidge. She had some idea to run by him and chattered his ear off the whole way to the Black lion.

 

***

 

Shiro woke the second time to the comforting low light of Black’s cabin, but it took him a full minute to remember that he was in fact whole and not trapped in the astral plane. He reached out for Keith but found Hikari instead, who’d curled up close to him in Keith’s absence. Warm, soft fur registered, and Shiro petted Hikari much to the pleasure of the wolf. The sensation was grounding and allowed him to center himself.

 

This was real.

 

He still felt overwhelmed, and his head and body ached, but it was manageable. Keith’s reiterated _I love you_ was a lingering warmth of its own, though Shiro was unsure of the exact nature of it. Despite his wants, Keith’s love was something he’d never take for granted, regardless of its form.

 

Footsteps alerted him to Keith’s return and he struggled into an upright position as Hikari bounced upwards and teleported promptly to where Keith was. A laugh reverberated, and Shiro noted how Keith neatly evaded getting tackled by the wolf.

 

“Hikari, go bother Mom,” Keith directed.

 

Hikari made huge, sad eyes at him until he snuck her a bit off the plate he carried. Satisfied, she bounded off to claim another victim.

 

“You’re awake,” Keith said, finally looking to Shiro.

 

Shiro tried to wrangle his face into a smile, though he was fairly certain it was stuck in a grimace. “Yeah, just woke up.”

 

Careful eyes assessed him and Keith folded his legs to sit down next to Shiro. The plate was handed over, and Shiro noted that the food was already in manageable pieces.

 

“Thank you,” he said softly.

 

Keith shrugged, and then hesitance seemed to lock him into place. Shiro waited to see what was bothering him, and was stunned when Keith finally moved, leaning over and pressing an infinitely gentle kiss to Shiro’s cheek. Was it possible that Keith’s feelings ran along the same thread as Shiro’s?

 

Keith was blushing fiercely when he pulled back and occupied himself fixing Shiro’s pillow before Shiro managed to shake himself.

 

“Keith,” Shiro said, voice overflowing with unchecked emotion.

 

He hurriedly moved the plate out of his lap as Keith looked up. Shiro reached, fingers curling around Keith’s cheek as he leaned over and pressed a chaste kiss to Keith’s lips.

 

Suddenly unsure, Shiro pulled back quickly, just missing the way that Keith had eagerly moved to return the kiss.

 

“I’m sorry, I hope that wasn’t—“ Shiro began nervously, but Keith was already in motion, capturing Shiro’s mouth with a kiss that sent his blood searing in his veins.

 

Shiro wobbled with no hand to brace him but Keith’s arms found their way around him, holding him steady and claiming him. Keith’s hands were gentle but firm and Shiro nearly lost himself just in the sensation of _touch_ , much less Keith’s mouth.

 

When Keith finally pulled back and leaned his forehead against Shiro’s, Shiro breathed out “I love you, Keith.”

 

Keith shuddered and turned his head to press his lips to Shiro’s temple.

 

“I love you too, Takashi. So much,” Keith answered, nearly choking on his emotions.

 

“Enough to find me,” Shiro said, tired and elated all at once.

 

“More than enough to always find you,” Keith corrected, a grin breaking out over his face.

 

Shiro gave a smile of his own and rested his head on Keith’s shoulder though he had to lean a bit to manage. They breathed quietly together for a while until Keith broke the silence.

 

“You should eat.”

 

Shiro heaved a dramatic sigh and straightened up, letting Keith settle the plate in his lap once more. While he unceremoniously shoveled food in his face, Keith brought him up to speed.

 

“Pidge suggested that we go to Olkarion before we head to Earth so that we can get a new arm built for you,” Keith told him.

 

Shiro stilled, thoughts churning as he considered the possibility. The memory of him attacking Keith with his arm, and of how it had enabled Haggar to control him…

 

“I don’t— I don’t think I’m ready for a new one just yet,” Shiro said hoarsely.

 

It was awkward and uncomfortable to have only one arm, and Shiro hated the phantom feeling, but there was some emotional healing that needed to happen first. Keith’s hand came to rest on his right shoulder, steady and reassuring. His shirt didn’t quite cover where the metal arm had been severed, but Keith was unbothered.

 

“Whatever you need,” Keith said. “We’ll do everything we can to make sure you’re comfortable.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

They were quiet again while Shiro finished his meal, and they decided to take a brief walk to that Shiro could stretch his legs and relieve himself. Exhaustion weighed heavy on him yet, and more sleep was especially welcome.

 

With the barrier broken, Keith touched Shiro casually as much as he could. When they descended from the Black lion, Keith draped an arm around Shiro’s waist and kept him close, ignoring the looks it earned them from the other paladins. Krolia was smiling and Romelle looked highly amused.

 

Keith was… so unbelievably happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If there are typos in this, I'm very sorry, I edited it in a moving vehicle (and by moving I mean section of the autobahn without speed limit moving).


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Shiro prepare to return to Earth with the team.

“Shiro wants to hold off on the new arm,” Keith told Pidge.

 

She peered up at him, the glare on her glasses effectively masking her feelings. “Okay,” Pidge said with an easy shrug. “I’ll whip up a cover or something for that shoulder then so that what’s remaining of it doesn’t get water in it, and to reduce friction on it.”

 

Keith pulled Pidge into a grateful side hug. “Thank you.”

 

Pidge smiled, though it was tinged with sadness. “He’ll heal at his own pace, and we’ll do everything we can to help him.”

 

Keith nodded his agreement and watched Lance talk with Shiro, or really, at Shiro. Shiro didn’t seem to mind though, and Keith hadn’t forgotten Lance’s tears or his guilt. It made the tiredness weigh heavier on his shoulders. His body was still battered and bruised in spots, but his primary concern was Shiro, as it always was, and the team.

 

“I’m so sorry, Shiro,” Lance said for the umpteenth time, his brow scrunched unhappily and his hands clenched together in his lap.

 

“Lance, there is nothing to apologize for,” Shiro said as gently as he could manage.

 

Lance looked like he wanted to protest, but Shiro lightly kicked his boot. “Nope,” he said firmly. “No more apologies. We’re moving forward, okay?”

 

“I still should have realized, should have heard you,” Lance muttered to himself.

 

“Lance, I was _dead_ , there wasn’t anything any of you could do about it,” Shiro said, unable to keep back that little bit of frustration. It wasn’t that Lance didn’t mean well, it was Shiro’s bitter exhaustion and the lingering pain.

 

Lance stared at him, dumbfounded, and the rest of the paladins were staring at him in horror.

 

Shiro slid Keith a glance. “You didn’t tell them?” he asked weakly.

 

“I thought it was implied!” Keith defended himself. His voice dropped off, “I also just don’t want to think about it anymore than I have to.”

 

Shiro couldn’t fight with him on that.

 

“The fight with Zarkon?” Allura guessed, her blue eyes glinting with sympathy.

 

Shiro nodded, but Keith cut in before anyone else could ask could ask questions. “We’re not talking about this right now,” he said shortly.

 

Surprisingly, no one argued with him. Lance looked like he’d been sucker-punched, and Shiro regretted saying anything at all.

 

“Lance,” he said, pitching his voice low to avoid being overheard. “You did everything you could, and you’ve helped the team get this far. Thank you.”

 

Lance swallowed hard and bobbed his head in acknowledgement, but Shiro still wasn’t sure that the message had gotten through. Thankfully, Allura claimed Lance’s attention and allowed Shiro to retreat to Keith’s side. Keith’s hand settled at the small of Shiro’s back and Shiro leaned greedily into Keith’s warm orbit.

 

“I’m worried about Lance,” Shiro admitted as they picked their way over to Black.

 

Keith hummed thoughtfully, a frown stealing across his face. “I’ll talk to Allura. They seem to have an understanding. I’m not sure when he stopped aggressively flirting with her, must have been while I was with the Blades.”

 

Shiro frowned as well. So many new developments and new dynamics that he was unused to. Lance was different from the boy Shiro remembered meeting, and Hunk was more confident in himself. Even Keith had changed, though the changes in Keith didn’t feel so foreign to Shiro. Keith was Keith, just more settled in himself.

 

Shiro couldn’t help but feel left behind. While the team had been learning and growing, he was stuck in the astral plane.

 

“Shiro,” Keith said gently.

 

Shiro blinked furiously, head turned away so that Keith couldn’t see how overwhelmed he felt. It didn’t matter, Keith knew anyway. A hand settled on the back of Shiro’s neck and gripped gently, grounding him as they came to a stop. What was done was done, there was naught to be done about it now.

 

Several ragged breaths later, Shiro mastered himself. “Sorry,” he said roughly. “I—”

 

A firm squeeze on his neck cut him off. “Don’t apologize,” Keith said, his own voice rasping from his throat. “We are here now, and I can never stop being thankful for that.”

 

The control that Shiro had constructed so carefully crumbled. A sob ripped its way free and Shiro caught Keith around his torso with his arm, hauling him close and hiding his face in Keith’s neck. Dark hair tickled Shiro’s nose and stuck to his cheeks where tears slid unbidden. Keith clung to him in return, and Shiro could feel him trembling in all the places where their bodies pressed together.

 

“We have a future, Takashi. A future,” Keith said fiercely. “Don’t ever lose sight of it.”

 

Shiro couldn’t help it, he smiled through his tears. “I won’t,” he promised, and pressed a feather light kiss to Keith’s neck.

 

It tasted of salt, sweat, and hope.

 

***

 

“Hikari,” Keith groaned.

 

The wolf had wormed her way in-between Keith and Shiro and was shamelessly receiving belly-rubs from Shiro. It was the last sleep before the journey to Earth, to home. Keith wasn’t sure who was more nervous, himself or Shiro. It wasn’t as if either of them had much to look forward to, though Keith missed the desert.

 

“She’s fine,” Shiro said, his fingers buried deep in Hikari’s fur.

 

“She’s in my spot,” Keith grumbled sullenly.

 

Shiro chuckled and glanced meaningfully at his other side. Keith crossed his arms over his chest, but the sight of Hikari blissed out from being petted was enough to break the façade.

 

“You’re so spoiled,” he informed Hikari as he climbed over her to sit next to Shiro.

 

Eyes crinkled in amusement, Shiro leaned over and stole a kiss.

 

“You both deserve to be spoiled,” Shiro murmured, and a flush stole its way up Keith’s neck.

 

“Takashi,” he whimpered, and Shiro grinned wickedly.

 

“Yeah, baby?” Shiro replied with as much innocence as he could muster.

 

Hikari growled in protest as Keith dragged Shiro down for a kiss, effectively distracting him. She begrudgingly scooted out of the way when she realized that Shiro and Keith weren’t going to let each other go any time soon.

 

***

 

“Matt! Took you long enough,” Keith snarked as Matt stepped out of the rebel pod, but there was a barely restrained grin on his face.

 

Matt sneered back at him but accepted a half hug from Keith and a full-on tackle from Pidge. “Sorry, we don’t all have super speedy space lions.”

 

“Maybe you should work on that,” Lance chipped in, earning himself a death glare.

 

The rest of the team greeted Matt with their usual enthusiasm, though Allura seemed oblivious to his casual flirting. Shiro hung back until Keith returned to his side, drawing Matt’s attention.

 

“Shirogane,” Matt said affectionately. “From what I understand, it’s actually been longer than I’d thought.”

 

Keith’s jaw visibly clenched and he slid closer to Shiro, their sides brushing. Matt frowned, his normally cheery face taking on new but familiar frown lines. He caught Shiro by his good shoulder and dragged him into a hug which Shiro returned gladly.

 

“Sorry, didn’t mean to be so blasé about it. I’m glad you’re okay Shiro. Keith and I missed you, Keith more so than me,” Matt said wryly.

 

Keith, who normally would have sent Matt a murderous glare for this, simply shrugged in acknowledgement. Matt’s eyebrows shot up and Keith stretched a hand out to Shiro, who tangled their fingers together. Keith tugged on their linked hands, drawing Shiro back to his side.

 

“Oh, finally?” Matt asked gleefully.

 

Shiro looked a bit sheepish, but Keith whistled quietly under his breath, and Hikari materialized with too convenient timing to tackle Matt.

 

“Oof, Keith when the hell did you get a space wolf? It looks like a Pokémon,” Matt wheezed from under the massive mound of hair.

 

It was as Keith designed it to be: an effective distraction from him and Shiro. Their romantic relationship was still new, and Keith was fiercely protective of it.

 

“Mom and I found Hikari when we were traveling on a space whale,” Keith said casually.

 

Matt sighed deeply as Hikari finally let him get to his feet. “That whole sentence just—what the hell Keith? Where should I start, with ‘Mom’ or space whale?”

 

“I mean ‘space whale’ seems self-explanatory,” Shiro said innocently.

 

“And Mom is right over there, talking to the Altean we met from a secret colony,” Keith added, smirking.

 

Matt threw his hands up. “I can’t with the both of you. I’m going to go find Pidge, since she actually loves me.”

 

Keith snorted. Shiro seemed to feel bad, but when he moved to place a reassuring hand on Matt’s arm, the motion was aborted abruptly. Shiro stared at the empty space where his right arm had been. He had tried to use it, Keith realized with a pang. Keith gave Shiro’s hand a fierce squeeze and set his own left hand on Matt’s shoulder.

 

“We care about you, Matt. You know that,” Keith said quietly.

 

Matt, who’d watched the whole thing with his lips pressed together, managed to muster a smile. “I do, I’ve known since the Garrison,” he reassured Keith.

 

Shiro was silent, engaged in his own inner turmoil. Matt shot him a concerned look, but Keith waved him off so Matt left to find Pidge and Green.

 

“Takashi, you’re here with me,” Keith said softly, lifting his free hand to cup Shiro’s cheek.

 

Shiro shuddered and his eyes slid shut as he leaned his cheek into Keith’s palm.

 

“When you’re ready, Pidge will make you a new one. One that is purely _yours,_ ” Keith told him, tone pitched low.

 

Shiro nodded slightly. “It always felt so… foreign, so _alien_ but I never realized it would be so hard to not have even that,” Shiro confessed, his voice barely a whisper.

 

Keith’s breath hissed through his teeth and he leaned up onto his tiptoes to press his forehead to Shiro’s. The distance wasn’t as far as it used to be.

 

“You’re strong Takashi. You’ve made it so far, it’s okay to stumble,” Keith murmured, brushing his nose against Shiro’s. “I’m here to catch you.”

 

“So wise now,” Shiro laughed shakily. “One day I’ll have to repay the favor.”

 

Heart in his mouth, Keith said, “You already have.”

 

***

 

“Are you ready?” Keith asked Shiro quietly.

 

Krolia and Romelle were getting settled with Hikari elsewhere in Black’s cabin, but Keith was in the pilot’s seat and Shiro stood next to him. Shiro let out a shaky breath and Keith looped an arm around his waist, leaning his head against Shiro’s hip.

“Neither of us really have much that we’re going back to,” Shiro said tiredly. “So I’m not sure why I’m so uneasy about it.”

 

Keith wrinkled his nose and started his slow campaign to drag Shiro into his lap. Shiro didn’t seem to notice his intentions, as he was caught up in his own thoughts.

 

“Well, I’ll have fun seeing Iverson again since I uh, accidentally punched him,” Keith said in an effort to distract Shiro.

 

Shiro had to twist to see Keith’s face, as Keith had Shiro halfway into his lap. There was some chatter over the comms, but not everyone had confirmed for departure yet.

 

“How did you manage that? Do I want to know?” Shiro asked.

 

Keith shrugged. “I got in a fight with that fourth year. You know the one, he was always talking shit on you. After the Kerberos mission disappeared, they pronounced it pilot error and he thought it was funny to taunt me. Iverson was trying to break the fight up and got clipped.”

 

Shiro was tense under Keith’s hand, but exhaled. “Fighting my battles again?”

 

“Matt and I will always fight for you, and now so will the team. Mom would probably gut people,” Keith mused with slight smile.

 

The implications behind that statement were staggering for Shiro. Keith and Matt’s loyalty was something he’d learned not to question long ago, and the teams more recently. But that Krolia saw him as one of her own? The sense of belonging, of family, was almost too much for Shiro to bear.

 

Keith took advantage of Shiro’s distraction and maneuvered him the last bit into his lap. Arms wrapped around Shiro’s waist, Keith rested his chin on Shiro’s shoulders and snuck a kiss onto his neck.

 

“Keith, what are you doing?” Shiro asked, his voice cracking around Keith’s name. He tried to twist around, but Keith held him firm.

 

“Pilot with me,” Keith insisted. “I know we’ve done it once already, if not more. But now we can do it with you _here._ ”

 

Black, who’d been quiet during their conversation, rumbled.  

 

“You won’t be able to see properly,” Shiro protested. “And I don’t… I don’t think my connection to Black is the same anymore.”

 

Keith hummed, “Didn’t you show me how to see through Black’s eyes? Besides, you’ll be able to see, and we’re doing this together. I think Black will humor us.”

 

“How?” Shiro’s voice was wondering, doubtful but still hanging on to hope.

 

Black’s presence was a fading whisper in his consciousness, one he clung to even though he knew there was no point. Allura pulling him from Black came with a cost, and for Keith, he was willing to sacrifice that bond. For Keith, anything.

 

Keith leaned forward, placing his left hand on the control stick. With gentle fingers he laid Shiro’s left hand over his before claiming the right control.

 

“Like this. And since I’m still connected to her, we can do this.” Keith nuzzled his face into Shiro’s neck.

 

Shiro didn’t get the chance to protest further because Pidge’s face popped up on the screen, and Matt was hanging over her shoulder.

  
“Gross, I feel like I’m interrupting something,” Pidge complained.

 

“Keith and I are copiloting,” Shiro said firmly despite the resignation that settled in his chest.

 

Keith made a rude gesture at her, leaning around Shiro to do so. The warm press of Keith’s chest against his back was just enough to take the edge off the gaping sense of loss that threatened to swallow Shiro

 

Matt doubled over laughing in the background of Pidge’s feed.

 

“Alright then, copilot lovebirds. Let’s go home. Everyone is ready,” Pidge said dryly.

 

“Give the orders,” Keith murmured in Shiro’s ear, tapping the button on the console to open comms with the whole team.

 

Shiro took a breath, “Alright team, wings up. We’re going home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can catch me crying in the Denny's lot about Shiro losing his bond with the Black lion, but I'm gonna do my damndest to write something good up for him.
> 
> Also, I finally put up the Allurance companion to this, I Know Better Now. Pray for me and my ambition :')


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh sorry this took so long, traveling took the life out of me. But we backkkkkkk

When they stopped to rest on the second day on some backwater planet, Keith was glad for the supplies that Matt had brought from the rebels. None of the food was particularly appetizing, which Hunk bemoaned, but it was better than nothing. It was slow going without wormholes, even with the lions moving as quickly as the slowest could manage.

Shiro regained strength slowly but with certainty, and Keith finally allowed himself more rest. But only after Krolia glowered at him and got Shiro involved. If he hadn’t been operating on sheer will and the reassurance of Shiro’s presence, Keith had the unhappy feeling that he might have passed out before now. 

As it was, he was dozing fitfully against one of Black’s large claws. 

He opened his eyes to find Krolia scowling at him and a worried Shiro hovering at her shoulder. 

“You will eat, and then you will sleep,” Krolia said firmly. 

Keith had no energy to argue with her, but his gaze fluttered to Shiro. 

Krolia made an exasperated noise deep in her throat. “Yes, he has eaten. What do you take me for?”

“Sorry,” Keith mumbled, and Krolia softened. 

Shiro carefully sat down beside him with some difficulty, it was clumsy going with only one hand. Shiro was quiet while Keith ate, but when Keith tried to get to his feet, he found a hand planted firmly on his chest, keeping him down. 

“No,” Shiro cut in before Keith could protest. He whistled and Hikari came bounding over. “Keep him here,” Shiro told her. 

Hikari tilted her head and they regarded each other until Hikari caved and draped herself across Keith’s lap, pinning him in place with her weight. 

“Shiro,” Keith whined. 

“You need to rest. You’ve been after me, but haven’t been following your own advice,” Shiro said, pained. 

Keith face took on a mulish look. “I’ll rest only if you stay and rest with me.” 

Shiro considered the terms, tucking Keith’s unruly hair behind his ear with light fingers. “Okay.”

It was the only foreseeable way to get Keith to sleep. Shiro was surprised that Hikari had listened to him but didn’t trust that she wouldn’t obey Keith’s orders over his. Keith made grabby hands at Shiro with a soft whimper so Shiro scooted closer, draping his arm over Keith’s shoulders. Keith leaned his head against Shiro with a content little noise that made Shiro’s heart seize. He pressed a kiss to the top of Keith’s head as Keith’s breaths slowed and evened out. Hikari squirmed until she was effectively a lap blanket for both of them, and the warm weight eased Shiro into sleep as well. 

“Are we not going to talk about this?” Lance complained from where he sat with the rest of the group, gesticulating wildly at the sleeping pair. 

Matt was smiling softly. “Hell no. You have no idea how long I’ve waited for them to finally figure that out.” 

Hunk shrugged, “It’s cute, let them be Lance.”

Pidge snuck a side-eyed look at Allura, who’d zoned out, and pinched Lance until he looked her way.

“Ow, Pidge what the hell,” he complained. 

She rolled her eyes and inclined her head towards Allura until Lance got the idea. His expression faltered, and Pidge’s eyes threatened to roll all the way back in her head. Lance pining so hard after Allura made her want to vomit, but Lance seemed best at cheering up Allura, so she’d have to live with it. 

“I’ve got it,” Lance told Pidge quietly. 

Pidge smacked his forehead lightly with the flat of her palm, a clear ‘duh.’

Lance swatted her hand away and shoved her off the log she’d been sitting on. 

***

Black finally made her decision clear, and on the third day she formed a chair for Shiro by Keith’s, but without the controls. Keith stared at it, jaw clenched and eyes sparking as he had a silent conversation with Black. They were clearly disagreeing, because Keith’s expression grew stormy. Shiro stepped close and cupped Keith’s head with a gentle hand, avoiding the still fresh mark on his cheek. 

“Keith, it’s okay. There had to be a price for me returning to a physical body,” Shiro tried to reassure him. 

It was hard, when the words stuck in his throat like tiny glass fragments. Being a paladin was something he valued, something he loved. 

“But she’s yours Shiro,” Keith retorted, distressed. His fists clenched at his sides as déjà vu crashed over him. 

Shiro was shaking his head as he threaded his fingers through Keith’s hair to soothe them both. 

“No Keith, she chooses her paladin. And she did so much for me… I can pay this price. To be here, to be with you, I will pay it.” The conviction in his voice wasn’t faked, though it did mask the pain. 

Keith leaned his head into Shiro’s hand, eyes scrunched up unhappily. “But—” 

“Keith,” Shiro hummed. “I thought I’d never get to have this again. It’s worth it to me. Black has chosen you now.”

A quiet exhale passed between them. 

“I love you, Takashi. Black paladin or no, you are perfect as you are,” Keith opened his eyes and held Shiro’s, that familiar stubborn light a balm. 

“I love you too,” Shiro murmured, ducking his head to steal a brief kiss. 

“Uh guys,” Hunk’s voice came over the comms. “Are we leaving or not? Krolia said there was a Marmora outpost that we can stop at before we do the final leg to Earth.” 

Shiro was incredibly proud when Keith answered, his voice cool and calm. 

“Yes, Hunk. Up and out, everyone. Keep an eye out for any Galra cruisers. I’m sure they’d love to get a few shots off on us.” 

Allura’s dry laugh was accompanied by Lance’s snort. 

“Right. Last one there is a rotten Weblum,” Lance challenged, and Shiro quickly found his seat as Red shot upwards. 

“That’s not fair, Red is the fastest and you know it,” Pidge complained. 

Lance cackled as Black rocked back on her haunches and launched herself after the smaller lion. 

“We just have to be smarter, Pidge,” Allura chimed in, aloof and unconcerned. In the background Coran squawked as Allura whipped Blue into a graceful barrel-roll. 

Keith and Shiro exchanged looks and Keith slammed the controls forward. 

“I hope you don’t intend to lose,” Krolia said mildly. 

Romelle was giggling, a sound that eased some of Keith’s worry. She’d been mourning her brother and her parents, and it was a relief to see her relaxing in the company of the paladins.

“Not a chance,” Keith smirked, leaning forward as he took advantage of Black’s brute strength. 

He didn’t have the energy to activate the wings, it took too much from him to use it so casually. That was fine, he had other tricks up his sleeve anyway. 

***

“Dad says they’re waiting for us,” Pidge said quietly over the comms as they covered the last bit of distance. 

Tension rippled between the lions in waves. Pidge, Lance, and Hunk were excited to see their families again, but all were apprehensive about the reception they would receive. Krolia and Keith had sent a message to Kolivan at the Marmora outpost, alerting him of their intentions on Earth. With luck, the Blades could keep the known universe from descending into full on chaos while they got the plans for the castle and dealt with Earth. 

The agreed upon landing spot was in the desert near the Garrison, as neutral territory as they were going to get. All the air whooshed out of Keith’s lungs as Earth came into view. Krolia had a death grip on the back of his chair. Returning to Earth was reopening an old wound for her, with her lover dead and buried here. 

“It’s beautiful from up here, isn’t it,” Shiro murmured. 

“It’s beautiful until they start shooting at us,” Keith grumbled. 

“With any luck, they won’t,” Shiro said, but there was no confidence in his words. It wasn’t as if he’d received a friendly welcome home last time.

Keith just shook his head and focused on guiding Black in outside out of the flying zones. No need to give some airline pilot a heart attack. 

“We land as one,” Shiro said firmly as the desert drew close. 

Lance muttered something that sounded suspiciously like ‘synchronized swimming.’

It surprised no one that the Garrison officials arrived in jeeps not five minutes after they set down. 

“Helmets off, paladins in front and everyone else behind. Krolia, you’re in charge of Romelle,” Allura reminded them. 

She already had her princess voice on, and Keith hoped that she was feeling particularly diplomatic today. 

Don’t intervene unless it really gets bad, Keith told Black. Her response was huffy, but the lions had a history of coming to Keith’s defense, and he wasn’t taking any chances. 

He left his helmet on the seat and looked to Shiro, who was staring at nothing. “I can do the talking,” Keith offered quietly. 

Shiro smiled tiredly at him. “I can handle it. With luck, Allura will smooth things over for all of us. I’m sure the Garrison has no love for any of its runaways.” 

Keith snorted, but leaned onto his toes to kiss Shiro’s temple. He planned on getting medical supplies and having someone look at Shiro’s arm while they were here. The Olkarions could do the tech, but the angry red around the metal needed taken care of now. 

“Here goes nothing,” Keith muttered under his breath as they exited the Black lion, Krolia and Romelle behind them. 

***

Iverson was the first recognizable face, though Commander Holt darted forward to hug his children before anyone could tell him not to. Colleen had to wait with the rest of the families at the base, and the Colleen that Shiro recalled was probably hopping mad about it. Keith could practically feel the irritation radiating off the brass, who did not like to be ignored. 

Allura took control and greeted each of them politely despite their wariness. The rest of the team formed a loose arc, shielding their other companions. It chafed at Krolia, but as she was most obviously not human, she bore it. 

Shiro kept close to Keith’s left side, trusting him in full to make up for what Shiro lacked. Iverson made a beeline for them once the initial greetings were over with. Keith tensed and Shiro’s face settled into an expression that Keith hadn’t seen in ages. It was the face most often used when he had to get three Garrison troublemakers out of hot water with their superiors. Matt constantly made fun of him for it and told him it made him look like he’d eaten something sour. 

“I almost didn’t recognize the three of you, with those scars and hair,” Iverson grunted, giving Shiro a narrow-eyed look. 

Matt, sensing trouble, eased away from his father to take up a post on Shiro’s left side. 

“Gee thanks,” Matt snorted, gesticulating with his hand. “That didn’t sound like a compliment.” 

Iverson blinked once, then twice, while Keith eased in front of Shiro and tried not to roll his eyes. It seemed that being with the rebels had cured Matt of having any respect for the Garrison. 

“Holt,” Iverson warned, already working himself into one of his trademark frowns. 

“Nope, you don’t get to pull that on me. I’m unassociated with the Garrison considering you deigned it appropriate to leave us in the hands of a bunch of genocidal aliens,” Matt snapped. 

Shiro sighed deeply, though Keith was more inclined to agree with Matt. 

Iverson looked like he was about to blow a gasket, but he shifted his gaze to Shiro. “What, Shirogane? You don’t have anything to say? Kogane, I know you’ve got some attitude stashed away.”

“Frankly, I agree with everything Matt just said,” Shiro said shortly. 

He still stood straight-backed out of habit, but he refused to defer with honorifics. Matt was right, the Garrison had left them for dead, and from what Keith had relayed, also dragged their names through the mud. 

Keith lifted a single eyebrow, conveying his immense distaste with a glower. Iverson was still wearing that eyepatch, so Keith felt his feelings on the Kerberos cover up were abundantly clear. 

Iverson stared at the three of them, and visibly gave up. “I never could win with the three of you,” he grumbled. 

Matt looked supremely unimpressed. 

“I think that’s a rather poor thank you for what we’ve given to protect this planet,” Keith said, voice icy but calm. 

Shiro could read the tension in Keith’s shoulders that said Iverson was pushing the limits of Keith’s patience. He stepped close enough that his side brushed Keith, and the casual contact was enough to draw Keith’s gaze away from Iverson. 

Iverson took the opportunity to scrutinize Shiro’s missing arm, the white hair, and the scars that marked the three of them. They were quite a set, all things told. 

“Let’s take these negotiations somewhere air conditioned,” Iverson addressed the rest of the group. “I’m sure these hooligans would like to see their families.” 

There was collective muttering about that, but the brass started moving, and Allura followed. Keith dropped back with Krolia, Romelle, and Hikari, and Shiro joined them. 

“Is that a space wolf?” Iverson growled from somewhere to Keith’s left. 

Keith laughed wickedly in response.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meeting with the Garrison officials goes about how you'd expect: boring and slightly hostile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time I get the great idea to work on 3 fics at once someone smack me please. Enjoy the Sheith with a large serving of Keith copping an attitude ;)

The reunion with the families was nothing but loud. Lance’s family led the charge, and Lance was sobbing by the time his mother hugged him so hard his ribs groaned. Hunk was smiling through his tears as he hugged his mother, and Colleen seemed torn between scolding her children and never letting go of them. It was touching, but Keith had no interest in anyone he’d left behind on Earth. Krolia stuck close to his side, their arms constantly brushing and Hikari on their heels.

 

Shiro, who had crashed on the Holt’s couch for more than one holiday, greeted Colleen with a small smile. She scowled at him and told him he’d scared her half to death disappearing with Matt, but she hugged him tight enough that her tears soaked his shirt. The clothes were something Shiro had to ask Keith about, especially since Krolia’s eyes tightened painfully every time she registered them. So many questions, but they had other matters to attend to.

 

Colleen, ever fierce, pulled away from Shiro to chuck an unsuspecting Keith’s cheek.

 

“You’ve grown up too,” she sniffed.

 

Keith was staring at her in astonishment, but Colleen had already moved on to introducing herself to a shocked Krolia. Shiro was forced to swallow the hysterical laugh that bubbled in his chest, those two together would be a force to be reckoned with.

 

The brass were quickly losing patience with the families, as always their priorities laid in getting what they wanted. In this case, that was to interrogate the paladins.

 

“Come with me,” Colleen told Krolia as the brass started to herd the paladins into the building. “Best not to sit in on the stuffy military stuff if you can avoid it.”

 

Keith nodded in agreement. “Hikari, go with Mom. Romelle? You okay with that too?”

 

Romelle lifted her shoulders in a shrug. She’d gone quiet in the face of a hoard of military men, but her gaze was steely.

 

“Alright, come along then. I’ll make up some cool drinks for us,” Colleen decided, and glared down the man who tried to prevent Krolia from leaving with her.

 

Krolia was grinning in a way that Keith knew meant trouble, and he knew better than to worry about her.

 

“Let’s get this over with,” Keith murmured to Shiro, who answered by tangling their fingers together.

 

***

 

Shiro hated the meetings. He wasn’t alone in that sentiment, Lance looked downright angry about being pulled away from his family so soon. Hunk fidgeted, and Pidge entertained herself by staring at officers until they were uncomfortable enough to look away.

 

Matt was surprisingly the least fidgety. Even Allura couldn’t seem to get comfortable in her straight-backed chair.

 

“I’m used to rebel meetings,” Matt explained out of the side of his mouth to Shiro. “Besides, I’ve been through hell. There’s nothing these peacocks can do to scare me.”

 

Shiro wished he could share the sentiment. Though Keith was the one who’d outright resisted authority, Matt hadn’t been far behind him. Shiro, though, Shiro was the good little cadet. It was hard to shake that now, not when so many other things weighed heavily on his mind.

 

“We’re here to invite Earth into the coalition,” Allura began without preface. “As Samuel Holt has informed you, you are very much not alone in this universe.”

 

There was tittering at this statement, and someone spoke up.

 

“And why should we care? We’re strong enough to take whatever is thrown at,” the man said haughtily.

 

Matt just barely managed to pass his laugh off as a cough.

 

“With all due respect, you are incorrect, sir,” Allura said evenly.

 

She still had her polite face on, but Shiro knew her well enough to recognize her irritation.

 

“Earth has superior weapons,” he continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “We will protect ourselves, and deal with these traitors.”

 

A glare swept over the paladins, who bristled in unison.

 

“You will not touch my paladins,” Allura stated, expression stormy.

 

Keith leaned back in his chair, all confidence, and Shiro knew that they were in for it.

 

“Unwise of you to threaten the individuals who sacrificed everything to ensure that you still have the ability to be an ass,” Keith said with false mildness.

 

The room erupted. The higher ups were furious, but Pidge was hanging off Matt because she was laughing so hard.

 

“Enough,” Shiro cut in, pushing to his feet.

 

Immediately Keith stood with him, all amusement gone and a dangerous curl to his brows. Shiro waited until everyone quieted down enough for him to speak.

 

“Keith is right. We have given more than our share to protect this planet, and we would do it again.” He knew that his missing arm and changed appearance spoke enough to that. “You abandoned Matt, Sam, and I to space, and then dragged my name through the mud, yet here we are, willing to work with you. I suggest that you reconsider your attitude.”

 

His piece said, Shiro sat back down and let his words resonate through the room. Keith sat as well, sneaking his hand onto Shiro’s knee under the table and giving it a gentle squeeze. There was quiet discussion between the general and Iverson, who’d been silent till now.

 

Finally the general spoke up. “What do you have in mind?”

 

Shiro tried not to feel too relieved as Allura leaned forward and explained their ideas in detail, with occasional suggestions from the others. Shiro kept quiet. He’d said what he’d wanted to, and now it was Allura’s time to shine. Keith had a hand somewhere on him at all times, which Shiro was grateful for. His own hand settled at the small of Keith’s back as Keith leaned in to offer his thoughts.

 

They hadn’t mentioned Keith’s heritage yet, but it was only a matter of time until the Garrison found out since Krolia looked far too much like him for it to be a coincidence. A memory surfaced, one of fangs where they hadn’t been before and yellow-slitted eyes. It was something that had escaped Shiro previously, he tried to suppress any recollections of that fight when possible. Shiro studied the back of Keith’s head curiously until Keith glanced over his shoulder in concern.

 

Shiro smiled reassuringly, but curiosity still nagged at him. Keith looked perfectly human at the moment, even with the awful burn on his cheek. The prospect of Keith having a Galra form was intriguing, but Shiro thought that the alternate form would not return unless Keith was that distressed again.

 

Distressed enough to lose control.

 

God, would the guilt ever fade? Keith leaned back into his hand and Shiro banished the thoughts from his mind. One problem at a time.

 

***

 

“You’ve grown into the leader I thought you’d be, though not the way I expected,” Iverson said dryly as he escorted the paladins back to their lions.

 

From there, they’d be allowed to rest however they chose, though they weren’t allowed to leave with their families. Shiro guessed it’d be a week of meetings before they’d be allowed that kind of freedom. It was a prospect none of the paladins were happy with.

 

“Plans changed,” Shiro answered, equally as dry.

 

“Hmmph,” Iverson huffed. “At least Kogane has gained some control over his temper. And he’s no longer a runt.”

 

Shiro gave him a cool look for that comment.

 

Iverson simply arched a brow, “Your boy does not need you to protect him, clearly.”

 

It was unclear if that was a comment on the muscle and height Keith had put on, or Shiro’s lack of a right arm.

 

“Keith has never needed me to protect him,” Shiro said flatly.

 

After all, it was Keith who’d determinedly fought all of Shiro’s naysayers. Keith who had survived so long on his own, and then saved Shiro’s life more than once.

 

Iverson choked on a laugh. “Not in that way,” he eyed Shiro keenly. “I suppose I’m not surprised that relationship went the way it has.”

 

Shiro pretended not to notice the implications of that comment and strode off without so much as a goodbye.

 

***

 

Keith couldn’t be more grateful that the meetings had been put on hold while Earth’s leaders had some sort of virtual conference to discuss the information they’d gathered. While they’d made the paladins be present for literally everything else, this they wanted to do in secret for some reason.

 

God, did Keith hate politics. There was far too much posturing, especially when you got the military involved.

 

“Let’s go out into the desert,” he murmured quietly to Shiro as they left the Garrison.

 

A slight smile tugged at Shiro’s lips. “Like old times?”

 

Keith snorted. “Well, we’d have to take Black and get the hoverbike from Blue’s cave before we can do that. And there’s also… there’s also some things I need to show my mom.”

 

The humor left his eyes then, prompting Shiro to tug him close. “Okay, let’s go find her and then go. The Garrison might lock us up in meetings until we go gray.”

 

A wry smile pulled at Keith’s mouth as he looked pointedly at Shiro’s hair.

 

“It’s white, and it’s distinguished,” Shiro sniffed primly to get a laugh out of Keith. Much to his pleasure, it worked, and Keith’s unhappiness eased.

 

Keith leaned into the solidness of Shiro’s body and nuzzled his neck. “It suits you,” he murmured.

 

Shiro smiled and plopped a kiss on the top of Keith’s head, very pointedly looking into the eyes of some gaping Garrison schmuck as he did so.

 

“Time to get the hell out of here,” Shiro said lightly.

 

***

 

Zipping Black across the desert was almost as fun as doing it on the hoverbike. Black was intrigued by the cave that Blue had been hidden away in, but Krolia’s expression set into something distinctly pained when they reached the shack. The hoverbike was there, waiting where Keith had left it under a cover before they’d left earth.

 

Now that Keith could remember better, it was harder to look at the shack without remembering the house that had once stood beside it.

 

“Shiro and I are going to take the hoverbike for a spin, and then I have somewhere to take you,” Keith told her quietly.

 

Krolia needed space and time to adjust to the fresh wave of loss. She nodded tightly and Keith nudged her shoulder gently before stepping outside to where Shiro waited.

 

Shiro’s face was pinched with worry. “Is she okay?” he asked, hoping he wasn’t overstepping boundaries.

 

Keith’s shoulders slumped as he let out a breath. “She will be. For her, the loss is fresh. I’ll take her to the grave tonight so she can properly say goodbye.”

 

Shiro tugged him into a hug and Keith nestled his face against Shiro’s chest, unsure who the tears that pricked at his eyes were really for. Krolia? His father? Himself?

 

It was probably all of the above. Keith allowed himself another moment before pulling away and tugging Shiro along with him to the bike. Thankfully the helmets were where he remembered, and there was still gas in the tank. He tossed the bigger one to Shiro and settled his own on his head.

 

“You kept my helmet?” Shiro asked, his voice hitching.

 

Keith flipped up his visor up as he swung his leg over the bike and met Shiro’s eyes steadily. “I was never going to give up on you.”

 

Shiro took a long, slow breath, and then another. “I love you,” he said fervently.

 

“Love you too, Takashi,” Keith answered. “Now come on, I want to put this thing through its paces.

 

Shiro couldn’t argue with that, and climbed on behind Keith, his arm wrapped around Keith’s waist and pressed as close as he could get.

 

They ended up at one of their favorite lookout points, gazing out over the desert as long as they can stand the beating intensity of the sun as it slowly sinks on the horizon.

 

“Why does Krolia look at me funny every time she sees me in these clothes?” Shiro asked, glancing over at Keith.

 

Keith’s eyes were on the sunset, but his mind was elsewhere. “They were my father’s.”

 

Shiro stared at him. “Keith—I… I can get some new clothes, I don’t want to upset her, or you.”

 

Keith shook his head, “It’s really okay Shiro. Not like he needs them anyway.” A wry twist of the mouth accompanied that. “Besides, I think both of us agree that we’d prefer to see them being used.”

 

“Okay,” Shiro said hesitantly. “Just… if you ever change your mind, and it becomes painful, you’ll tell me right?”

 

Keith stepped close, brushing his nose along Shiro’s jaw. “Of course. Though I definitely won’t object to seeing you in other outfits,” he added slyly.

 

Shiro sputtered but Keith kissed him silent as the sun sank behind them.   


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't proof read because SDCC just dropped a bombshell on my life but enjoy

Shiro wasn’t sure why Keith insisted that he come. This was something he expected Keith and Krolia would want to do alone, but instead Keith had ahold of Shiro with one hand, and Krolia with the other. It was a quiet walk through the desert, Keith had decided to leave the hoverbike behind as to not attract attention. Though the Garrison was aware of her, it was best not to let the general public get a glimpse of Krolia just yet. The whole being purple thing kinda screamed ‘alien.’ Hikari bounded ahead, chasing the nocturnal desert creatures down their holes despite Keith’s scolding. She wouldn’t like it if she got too close to a scorpion.

 

Keith was confident as he picked his way across the desert, guiding Shiro along. Krolia seemed to be able to see just fine, and Shiro wondered if that was a Galra thing. No one spoke as they approached the cemetery, but Keith’s grip on Shiro’s hand tightened. Shiro squeezed back gently as Hikari brushed up against their legs.

 

There was no hesitation in the way Keith wove through headstones until he found the one he was looking for. The possibility that Keith had come out here to visit his father during their time at the Garrison struck Shiro abruptly. It’d probably happened without him even knowing it and hurt Shiro to think about Keith doing it alone. He would have come, had Keith asked, but it was so like Keith to suffer in silence.

 

“This is where he is,” Keith told Krolia quietly, releasing her hand as she dropped to her knees in front of the headstone.

 

Her shoulders shook and Shiro heard Keith take a sharp, raspy breath. His heart ached for both of them, for Krolia’s fresh loss and the one Keith had carried for so long. Keith met Shiro’s gaze, his eyes glittering with tears. If hints of his heritage showed through in his distress, Shiro didn’t call attention to it. Keith gave Krolia’s shoulder a comforting squeeze, leaving Hikari at her side, and pulled Shiro back several steps to give her some privacy.

 

Shiro pressed a kiss to Keith’s temple and Keith huddled against him, releasing Shiro’s hand in favor of wrapping his arms around Shiro’s torso. Shiro held him as tightly as he could, nuzzling his face into Keith’s hair as Keith leaked tears onto his vest.

 

When Krolia joined them they sandwiched her between them in a gentle hug.

 

“I have you, my sons. It will be okay,” Krolia whispered. “It will be okay.”

 

***

 

Something inexplicable itched at Shiro. The meetings were wrapping up, but something nagged at him. His dreams were restless and hard to remember, but great blue eyes and blinding light followed him into the daytime hours. Keith watched him with concern, but didn’t push, only soothed and held Shiro when he woke in the night.

 

“Keith,” Shiro asked quietly one evening when he couldn’t ignore it any longer.

 

They were sitting at Black’s feet, enjoying the way the desert started to cool when the sun dropped in the sky. A memory had been nagging at him, one where it seemed like the white lion of Oriande would swallow him whole. It was a time when Shiro, or really that version of Shiro, had been trying to fight off Haggar’s control. Keith’s concerned look made Shiro feel bad for speaking up. He didn’t want to worry Keith, not when Keith had already done so much for him.

 

“Yeah Shiro?”

 

“What did it feel like when Blue called to you?” Shiro got straight to the point.

 

Keith blinked. Whatever he’d been expecting, it wasn’t that. He stared out across the desert that rolled on all sides of them, his dark hair tied into a tiny ponytail to keep it from sticking to his neck.

 

“It was strange,” he said contemplatively. “Her call was a pull that I couldn’t ignore even if I wanted to. It kinda just… took over everything. I saw the caves in my dreams, and it didn’t let up until I started searching.”

 

Shiro gave a quiet ‘huh,’ and Keith looked over at him, eyes narrowed. “Why are you asking that now?” 

 

Shiro tried to shrug nonchalantly, but it wasn’t like he wanted to hide it from Keith anyway. More… he wasn’t sure he was ready to accept it himself.

 

“I think the white lion of Oriande is calling me,” Shiro tried to play it off.

 

At Keith’s blank look, Shiro remembered bitterly that Keith hadn’t been with the team for that particular adventure.

 

“The white lion is the guardian of the secret Altean city-thing Oriande. It’s where all the alchemy stuff happens I guess. Allura and Lotor went, you have to be worthy to pass through and the whole team couldn’t go,” Shiro explained.

 

It was a poor explanation, but Shiro wasn’t well versed in Altean traditions. The memories also felt just a bit hazy around the edges, probably due to the fact that they were a result of the merge. Shiro himself had been in the astral plane at that time.

 

“Ah,” Keith said, slightly amused. “A mystical white lion has a crush on you? Guess you’d better go talk to Allura.”

 

Shiro had been worked up over the idea, but Keith’s reaction helped settle his nerves.

 

“A crush? When did you become a comedian?” Shiro scoffed.

 

Keith grinned, leaning in to steal a kiss. “What, don’t think I’m funny Takashi?” he murmured against Shiro’s lips.

 

Shiro didn’t bother to answer and let Keith kiss away the rest of his worries.

 

***

 

Allura had to ask Shiro to repeat himself, which he managed to do with graceful patience.

 

“The white lion is calling _you_? But you’re not Altean,” she muttered half to herself.

 

“I’m aware,” Shiro said dryly. “Maybe the white hair is confusing it.”

 

Keith, who was cleaning his knife a few feet away, snorted a laugh. Fortunately for him, Allura was too caught up in his thoughts to notice.

 

“It’s… strange,” Allura mused, her brows drawn together thoughtfully. “Perhaps it has something to do with your time in the astral plane. I can’t be sure though unless I actually return to Oriande.”

 

“That’s rather hard to do when we’re unable to open wormholes,” Shiro pointed out.

 

“Yes,” Allura agreed. “And then there is the issue of why the white lion feels the need to reach out at all. It does not have what you would consider to be a physical body, and I can’t imagine why it would call you so urgently.”

 

Keith twirled his knife over his fingers before sliding it into the sheath at the small of his back.

 

“I don’t know very much about Altean legends, but I did spend a year with Romelle. If the lion is a guardian, and it’s selecting a paladin, I would guess that there’s something that it needs help protecting,” Keith said with a shrug.

 

Allura stared at him. “A paladin?”

 

Shiro echoed the sentiment. “How could I be a paladin to something that’s not even physical. It’s not like Voltron.”

 

Keith arched a brow. “Maybe it needs a physical form. It’s not like Allura couldn’t make one, she helped Lotor with Sincline after all.”

 

“Yes but—” Allura protested, then paused. “You might be on to something, Keith. But I’d have to visit Oriande again to be sure.”

 

Shiro was trying to wrap his head around that, but Keith was already six steps ahead of him.

 

“Well, we have to go to Olkarion first to build a new castle, and then from there we can go to Oriande. I’m sure there will be some time to do research while we’re there,” Keith said, like it was a simple thing.

 

Allura nodded. “As soon as we wrap these meetings up, we’ll go. We’ve left the coalition alone long enough, and there’s a lot of things that need done.”

 

Keith answered that with a wide, toothy smile that made Shiro wonder what it would look like with pointed canines. That was still a conversation yet to be had, and Shiro knew he needed to approach that soon. They’d been happy though, despite everything, and Shiro was hesitant to rock the boat just yet.

 

“If I just heard correctly, you volunteered me to be the paladin for a mystical being?” Shiro asked Keith as Allura left.

 

A small smile pulled at Keith’s mouth, but concern shone in his eyes. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to, Shiro. If you need more time, we’ll tell the lion to shove off.”

 

Shiro exhaled. “I don’t know yet, Keith,” he said softly. “I want to be a paladin, but there’s still a lot of things…”

 

Keith cupped Shiro’s jaw with a gentle hand. “No need to rush. If things get hairy, I’m here to watch your back.”

 

Shiro groaned, “That’s a really awful pun Keith. Like, really bad.”

 

Keith blinked.

 

“Lions, hairy? Lions are hairy?” Shiro tried to explain to a confused Keith.

 

“Shiro… you’re projecting your awful sense of humor onto me,” Keith teased.

 

“Matt would think it’s funny,” Shiro grumbled playfully.

 

“Matt has the sense of humor of a twelve-year-old,” Keith countered, smacking a kiss onto Shiro’s cheek for emphasis.

 

“Says the one who put tooth paste in his socks for revenge once,” Shiro argued.

 

“It was one time!”

 

Shiro admired the flush that rose on Keith’s cheeks. “You’re cute,” he said, derailing the whole thing.

 

Keith blushed harder. “So are you.”

 

***

 

On one hand, Keith was glad that they’d let the other four leave. The Holts, Hunk, and Lance all had family who’d probably thought they were dead when they’d disappeared. That, and Keith felt partially responsible for dragging Hunk and Lance into the mess. The lions may have chosen them, but Keith had brought them to Blue in the first place.

 

On the other hand, Keith hated that he, Shiro, and Allura had to face the brunt of the questions. As many meetings as they’d already sat through, Keith would have thought the Garrison would be out of questions by now. But no, they still managed to ask things and make Keith’s temper flare.

 

“Are you certain that the Galra group you spoke of can be trusted. From what you’ve told us about the Galra…” one man said, nervously wringing his hands.

 

He wasn’t military, he’d come with another envoy, and Keith wanted to punch him in the face. If Krolia was here, he might have already attempted it.

 

“We’re certain,” Keith gritted out before Allura could speak. “They’ve worked with Voltron before, and I’ve worked with them personally.”

 

Keith felt Shiro’s hand settle soothingly on his thigh. He took a breath, and then another to get a hold on his temper. They needed to stay ahead of the anti-Galra sentiment that took Allura so long to shake. Just a few more days and they’d be back in space, hurtling toward Olkarion. Keith could hold on till then. Maybe.

 

“Yes, but—” someone cut in, and Keith’s hands clenched into fists.

 

Shiro’s smooth voice jumping in was a relief, and Keith relaxed into his seat. “I think history has shown us already that blindly following stereotypes about people only ends badly. We must not fall into the pitfall that has snared so many of our forefathers.”

 

Keith had to swallow a laugh, he’d forgotten how prettily Shiro could talk when he wanted to. The hand around his thigh tightened, as if Shiro knew exactly what he was thinking. Well, he probably did.

 

Allura, who had been unusually quiet, spoke at last. “They are correct. We will not make the same mistakes. You have a framework now, for what we hope to build, and a means of communicating with us.”

 

“So you mean to leave so soon?” someone asked bluntly.

 

Allura lifted her chin. “We are needed at the front lines, and I have a ship to rebuild, among other things,” she said calmly.

 

There was mumbling about that, but no one threw a hissy fit. Keith could practically taste the freedom, and saw similar thoughts reflected in Shiro’s eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was not prepared for how quickly they were going to drop a new season so I won't get to explore as much as I wanted to in this, but I'll wrap it up nicely here in a bit <3


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for the paladins to get back to business.

Keith wasn’t sure why guilt mingled with his relief when they finally departed from Earth. Maybe it was Lance’s tearful goodbye with his family, or the way Hunk smiled brilliantly even though Keith knew it hurt him to leave again. The Holts were exchanging last minute plans but Keith stepped into the Black lion without a second of hesitation. Home had never been a place for Keith, it was a person, now persons. It was Shiro, Krolia, and Hikari. It was the team.

 

Shiro was only a step or two behind Keith, looping his arm around Keith’s waist.

 

“Ready for a new arm?” Keith asked lightly, twisting around in Shiro’s grasp.

 

Shiro gave him a small smile. “Yes. I’m ready to hold onto you with two hands.”

 

Keith snorted, ducking his head to press his nose against Shiro’s collarbone, hiding his blush. “You’re a sap,” he accused Shiro without heat.

 

“Only for you,” Shiro answered, pressing a kiss to the top of Keith’s head.

 

“Lies. I saw you crying when Captain Holt was breaking out pictures from the good old days with Matt,” Keith said.

 

“You were too!” Shiro complains.

 

“Yes, but that’s not the point,” Keith said primly.

 

Shiro grumbled playfully, nosing Keith’s hair. He smelled as he always did: like spice and desert and home. Keith snuck a kiss along the underside of Shiro’s jaw and stepped back.

 

“C’mon, we have places to be,” Keith chided.

 

Yes, yes they did.

 

***

 

Shiro was dearly missing worm holes when they finally arrived on Olkarion. Even with the lions’ speed and supplies from Earth, it was a tedious journey, and Shiro was relieved to finally look out over Olkarion’s familiar horizon. Beside him, Keith’s brows were furrowed.

 

“It’s a lot different than I remember,” Keith muttered.

 

Shiro wondered at that. He didn’t register many changes, but then he’d been here more recently than Keith.

 

“They’re always creating things,” Shiro explained with a shrug. He didn’t like to recall the time Keith had spent away.

 

Keith accepted the explanation with pursed lips. “Thank god for that. Allura, Hunk, and Coran are going to get started on the new castle ship, but Pidge wants to get your arm done first.”

 

There was a pause, and Shiro knew Keith was giving him the option of backing out. Shiro shook his head.

 

“I’m ready when she is,” Shiro said firmly.

 

It was time. His heart thrummed in his chest to the tune of the white lion’s call. There were things Shiro needed to do. A purpose, a role, a _something_ awaited him. Shiro just had to be brave enough to step into it. And well, that’d never been a problem for him before.

 

“Takashi,” Keith’s even voice jolted him out of his thoughts. “One thing at a time, yeah?”

 

Shiro made a face at him. “Never stopped you before.”

 

Keith smirked, nudging Shiro gently. “What happened to patience yields focus?”

 

Shiro gave Keith a flat look, which naturally sent Keith into a laughing fit. God, his laugh filled Shiro’s chest with such fuzzy warmth that he was half sure he could float from it. Things still weren’t easy; Shiro woke up on occasion drenched in sweat and terrified of touching Keith. But they were figuring it out, and they were figuring it out together.

 

***

 

“Pidge, have you been sleeping?” Keith asked suspiciously as she fitted Shiro’s prototype prosthesis.

 

He was holding Shiro’s human hand, their fingers tangled together as Shiro held on with a white-knuckled grip.

 

Pidge waved a hand airily at Keith. “Of course I have. It was nice to take a break and work on something other than the castle, so this came together pretty quickly.”

 

Keith was unconvinced. “Pidge.”

 

She glared at him over her shoulder. “Keith,” she echoed in the same tone. “Matt and I had rough plans for this done already, and the Olkari are very helpful.”

 

Shiro sat in stoic silence, trying not to smile at Keith’s mother-henning. He and Pidge had a stare down until Keith gave in and hopped up in sit on the table next to Shiro, their fingers still intertwined.

 

“If I think for a second you’re not sleeping enough…” Keith muttered.

 

“You’ll what?” Pidge taunted as she hunched over Shiro’s shoulder.

 

Keith made a frustrated noise that sounded like a stepped-on cat and sent Pidge cackling. Shiro knew, however, that Keith had avoided giving Pidge an answer so that she couldn’t plan for his attack. It was a calculated move, and Shiro slid him a grin. Keith smirked in return, face softening as he looked at Shiro. Pidge was still laughing quietly to herself, but neither paid her any attention.

 

“Okay?” Keith asked quietly, bringing his free hand up to cup Shiro’s cheek.

 

Shiro gave a small nod, leaning into Keith’s hand. The sensation of having an arm attached was unpleasant, but Keith was a good distraction. Shiro closed his eyes and let Keith’s soft humming lull him while Pidge worked busily.

 

He wasn’t sure how much time passed, only that he’d ended up with his head on Keith’s shoulder, when Pidge finally announced that she was done.

 

“It’s still a prototype, so I’ll probably have to do some tweaks on it but give the range of motion a try. There’s a bunch of other features that I’ll fill you in on, but that’s most important,” Pidge declared.

 

Shiro straightened off Keith’s shoulder and carefully lifted his arm. It felt different from the Galra arm: lighter, and with a heat that was more like a candle rather than an inferno. He started from the shoulder and worked his way through various motor skills all the way down to his fingertips. They curled and uncurled with ease, and he reached for Keith. Shiro hesitated for a brief moment before running his fingers through Keith’s hair. Keith smiled at him, dark eyes dancing as he leaned in and snuck a kiss.

 

Pidge cleared her throat loudly. “Right then. Looks like it’s working fine for now, let me know if you have any problems and _god could you wait until I left the room?!?!?!”_

 

Her rising voice was met with Shiro and Keith’s unconvincing innocent looks. Pidge stomped off to find Hunk and get away from the relationship nonsense.

 

“Think she’ll stay mad?” Shiro murmured as he pulled Keith down for another kiss, making full use of his new hand.

 

“Nah,” Keith answered.

 

***

 

Allura was watching the progress on the castle when Shiro came to stand beside her.

 

“You think we should take the Blue lion and go to Oriande,” she said without turning her head.

 

Shiro experimentally flexed his new arm. “How’d you know what I was going to say?” he asked, amused despite himself.

 

Allura gave him a wry smile. “I was thinking the same thing. Coran doesn’t need anything from me regarding the castle, and Hunk is perfectly capable of getting a crystal from the Balmerans without me.”

 

“Divide and conquer?”  Shiro mused.

 

“Something like that,” Allura agreed. “I don’t know what role the white lion will play in this, but the urgency it’s calling you with tells me that sooner is better than later.”

 

Shiro examined his cybernetic hand. “Tomorrow?”

 

“That would probably be best. But Shiro? Keith can’t come with us,” Allura reminded him gently.

 

He frowned at the ground and let a breath ease its way out of his lungs. “I know. He’s not going to like that though.”  
  
Shiro and Keith hadn’t been separated for more than a few hours at a time since things had gone to hell. Shiro knew that it wasn’t that Keith thought he was incapable of taking care of himself. It was more… they’d nearly lost each other so many times that he wasn’t willing to risk it.

 

“I don’t think he has much of a choice,” Allura sighed. “This is something that you have to do alone. Or well, with my assistance.”

 

Shiro shot her a grateful look. “Are you sure this isn’t too much for you to take on right now?”

 

Allura laughed softly and shook her head. “I’m fine. You’re starting to sound like Lance.”

 

“Hmmph. He has a point though,” Shiro said. ‘

 

“I know I know,” she waved Shiro off. “Go talk to Keith and then we’ll make plans.”

 

***

 

Keith tried not to fret as they stood at the feet of the Blue lion. Shiro was back in paladin armor, which was enough to send Keith’s heart thrashing in his chest. Shiro had ahold of his hands and gave them a gentle squeeze.

 

“I hate that I can’t go with you,” Keith mumbled, glaring at the ground.

 

Shiro leaned in, resting his forehead gently against Keith’s. “I know. But from what I remember of last time, only the chosen can pass through to Oriande, and the guardian gets agitated rather easily.”

 

Keith was highly tempted to follow them in the Black lion and wait just out of range. That was unreasonable though, there were things he needed to do here on Oriande. Someone had to keep an eye on the team while Allura and Shiro were gone.

 

“If it makes you feel better, Allura says it’s not particularly dangerous. The biggest worry is avoiding Galra cruisers on the way there,” Shiro soothed.

 

Keith snorted, tilting his head to steal a swift kiss from Shiro, and then another.

 

“I’ll be waiting, Takashi,” he murmured.

 

Shiro snuck a peck onto Keith’s forehead and then his nose. “I won’t be long, not when I have you to come home to.”

 

“I love you,” Keith reminded him, pulling back.

 

Shiro grinned lopsidedly. “I love you too.”

 

“All right, get going before I change my mind,” Keith grumbled and shooed Shiro and Allura into Blue, even as it felt like someone was squeezing his chest.

 

This was something Shiro needed to do, and Keith wouldn’t get in the way of that.

 

***

 

Travelling in Blue was far too quiet. Neither Shiro nor Allura had ever been ones for aimless chatter, but this was too much.

 

“What’s going on with you and Lance?” Shiro asked to break the silence.

 

Allura stiffened. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 

“Allura,” Shiro said with a soft chuckle. “The rest of us aren’t blind. He’s changed for the better, and that’s thanks to you.”

 

She pursed her lips. “No, that was all him.”  
  


Shiro shook his head. “Semantics. He did it because you made him want to be better,” he corrected her.

 

Allura huffed, “Okay? What of it?”

 

“I was just curious, that’s all,” Shiro shrugged. “I’m sorry about Lotor, for what it’s worth. I don’t think that’s the last we will see of him though. Quintessence corruption is, well…”

 

“I know,” Allura said hoarsely. “I didn’t want to think about it, but I’m sure we haven’t seen the last of him, Shiro.”

 

“Probably not,” Shiro agreed. “But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t move on.”

 

That earned him a pointed glare, and Shiro held his hands up to placate her. “I’m not trying to push you, Allura. It’s just… I spent a lot of time thinking that I’d never get the opportunity to tell Keith how I felt. And there was nothing I regretted more than that.”

 

“Shiro,” Allura interjected with concern.

 

Shiro had been fairly quiet about his time in the astral plane, though Allura assumed he’d talked to Keith about it.

 

He gave her a small, reassuring smile. “What I’m trying to get at is, I want you to be happy. We all do. If Lance makes you happy, don’t let that slip through your fingers. It’s not as if he hasn’t made his feelings clear on that front.”

 

Allura stared out as they zipped through space. “I know how Lance feels, the mice told me. But he hasn’t said a word about it to me.”

 

Shiro made a noncommittal noise and shifted his weight. “He introduced you to his whole family, right? And he’s like, your best friend?”

 

Allura threw him a suspicious look and Shiro smiled crookedly.

 

“Talk to him Allura. Life’s too short.”

 

Allura sighed through her nose. “After we figure out why the white lion wants you so badly.”

 

“That’s fair.”

 

***

 

Shiro swallowed hard and gazed up at the white lion as it leaned down, it’s immaterial form engulfing him. Beside him, Allura’s eyes were closed and she had her hands stretched out in front of her.

 

Well, that was one way to do it. Shiro closed his eyes and let the white lion become a part of his very being.

 

 _What do you need me to do_?

**Author's Note:**

> As always, you're welcome to come yell at me on tumblr at carry-a-world (I don't bite but I do use excessive letters when I get excited) :) Also plz ignore my random bout of poeticness, these boys really punched me in the feels this season.


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